1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a virtual-space hazard assessment system for assessing the hazard of an avatar that commits a hazardous act or the like in a virtual world (space) typified by Second Life, and a method and program for the same.
2. Description of Related Art
In virtual world (3-D Internet) communities typified by Second Life, a mechanism of providing simulated experience similar to that of real life is becoming widespread (for example, refer to Rymaszewski, Michael, et al. Second Life: The Official Guide, Trans. Ranmaru Nakagawa, Impress R&D, May 2007).
Such virtual worlds have various persons (avatars) and objects, some of which harass others or contrive to infect a person who touches them with computer virus, and therefore virtual worlds have hazards as in the real world.
Such hazards are present not only in avatars and objects but also in places. For example, places in which hazardous avatars appear or places in which persons feel uncomfortable should not be approached.
Also, as in the real world, off-limits areas and danger zones are designated and dangerous objects are given danger signs.
Not only Second Life but also the world of computer games is a kind of virtual world, in which a system for preventing contact between persons and vehicles and assessing hazard due to contact with enemy characters is proposed.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-75616 proposes a technique for preventing persons from entering danger zones and caution zones set around a motorcycle or letting people move therefrom in a motorcycle game in which a person travels on urban areas as opposed to race circuits. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-154449 proposes a technique of displaying multiple concentric ring-shaped areas to indicate the degree of hazard when the distance between a player character and an enemy character decreases to a predetermined value or less.